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1 Thessalonians 1 |
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Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the
Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in
our prayers,
remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God
and Father.
We know, brothers loved by God, that you are
chosen,
and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in
power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know
what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your
sake.
You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the
word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia
and in Achaia.
For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in
Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward
God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything.
For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a
reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols,
to serve a living and true God,
and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
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1:4 The word for “brothers”
here and where context allows may also be correctly translated
“brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
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1 Thessalonians 2 |
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For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in
vain,
but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know,
at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of
God in much conflict.
For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in
deception.
But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the
Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our
hearts.
For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as
you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),
nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when
we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her
own children.
Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to
impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own
souls, because you had become very dear to us.
For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night
and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the
Good News of God.
You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly
we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.
As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you,
as a father does his own children,
to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into
his own Kingdom and glory.
For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you
received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not
as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which
also works in you who believe.
For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which
are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things
from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us
out, and didn’t please God, and are contrary to all men;
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to
fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the
uttermost.
But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in
presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with
great desire,
because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but
Satan hindered us.
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even
you, before our Lord Jesus*
at his coming?
For you are our glory and our joy.
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2:19 TR adds “Christ”
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1 Thessalonians 3 |
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Therefore, when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it
good to be left behind at Athens alone,
and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News
of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your
faith;
that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we
are appointed to this task.
For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you
beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it
happened, and you know.
For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent
that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the
tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.
But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us
glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good
memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long
to see you;
for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our
distress and affliction through your faith.
For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for
all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God;
night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and
may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
direct our way to you;
and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward
another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,
to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness
before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with
all his saints.
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1 Thessalonians 4 |
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Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus,
that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please
God, that you abound more and more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain
from sexual immorality,
that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel
in sanctification and honor,
not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God;
that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister
in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as also we forewarned you and testified.
For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.
Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has
also given his Holy Spirit to you.
But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to
you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all
Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and
more;
and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do
your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we
instructed you;
that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may
have need of nothing.
But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who
have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have
no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive,
who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those
who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ
will rise first,
then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with
the Lord forever.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
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1 Thessalonians 5 |
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But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no
need that anything be written to you.
For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a
thief in the night.
For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden
destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman;
and they will in no way escape.
But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake
you like a thief.
You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don’t
belong to the night, nor to darkness,
so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be
sober.
For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are
drunk in the night.
But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of
salvation.
For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with him.
Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you
also do.
But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are
over you in the Lord, and admonish you,
and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake.
Be at peace among yourselves.
We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the
fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.
See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow
after that which is good, for one another, and for all.
Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus toward you.
Don’t quench the Spirit.
Don’t despise prophesies.
Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole
spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.
Brothers, pray for us.
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all
the holy brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
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